Dwarf Malabar Puffer
Carinotetraodon imitator
- Care level
- Intermediate
- Adult size
- 2.5 cm
- Minimum tank
- 20 litres
- Temperature
- 22–28 °C
Species profile
Cross River Puffer
Tetraodon pustulatus
Common names: Cross River Puffer
Recognized speciesPufferfish
Adult size
Up to 30 cm
Up to 30 cm
Countries of origin
Good fit for your tank?
Good fit for
- An experienced keeper with a large river-style tank
Think carefully if
- Wild-caught imports concern you, given its Endangered status
- You also keep shrimp or snails you want to protect, because this puffer will eat them
- You keep similar-sized fish, which may get bitten
An endangered West African puffer that grows to 30 cm. Imports are scarce and costly, and it needs a 540 litre tank with strong flow.
Appearance and Identification
A large puffer with a warty skin texture and a mottled body, named pustulatus for the small bumps on its skin.
Rarely seen, and usually sold at a high price by specialists. FishBase records it at up to 40 cm.
No obvious differences have been noted.
Tank Requirements
- Suggested filter
- About 2,160–2,700 litres an hour
- Suggested heater
- About 550–800 W for this tank
- Minimum tank volume
- 540 litres
- Minimum tank length
- 150 cm
- Minimum group size
- 1
- Recommended group size
- 1
- Activity level
- Moderate
- Flow preference
- Moderate
- Planting preference
- Open swimming space required
- Hiding places
- Yes
- Lid recommended
- Yes
- Jumping risk
- Low
Use a large, strongly filtered tank with moderate flow and plenty of open space.
Behaviour and Tankmates
An inquisitive fish that mainly hunts slow or fixed prey.
Usually kept alone.
May bite fish of a similar size, out of curiosity or aggression.
Small, quick, peaceful fish are largely ignored, but similar-sized fish such as bichirs or large cichlids may be bitten. It will eat shrimp and snails.
Water Parameters
A freshwater puffer. It can tolerate slight salt but does not need it.
Parameter caveat
Puffers are messy feeders and sensitive to waste, so keep up regular water changes and use a filter rated for a larger tank.
Feeding
- Diet types
- Carnivore, Predator
- Feeding frequency
- Once or twice daily
- Preferred foods
- Snails and mussels in the shellEssential. Crushing shells wears down the beak, which never stops growing.
- Crab legs, prawns and cocklesFeed unshelled where you can, for the same reason.
- EarthwormsA useful meaty food, and many puffers take them readily.
Eats mainly snails, mussels and crustaceans, with some other invertebrates and fish.
Check the beak regularly. If it overgrows, the fish can no longer eat and the teeth may need to be trimmed by someone experienced.
Breeding
- Breeding difficulty
- Not commonly bred
- Parental care
- Unknown
Has not been bred in captivity.
Habitat and Origin
- Geographic origin
- Africa, Cameroon, Nigeria
- Natural habitat
- Fast Stream, River
- Aquarium contexts
- Large Freshwater Aquarium, Species-Only Aquarium
- Audience level
- Specialist
Classification
- Profile type
- Recognized species
- Genus
- Tetraodon
- Family
- Tetraodontidae
- Species group
- Fish, Pufferfish
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Dwarf Puffer
Carinotetraodon travancoricus
- Care level
- Intermediate
- Adult size
- 2.5 cm
- Minimum tank
- 20 litres
- Temperature
- 22–28 °C
Fahaka Puffer
Tetraodon lineatus
- Care level
- Specialist
- Adult size
- 43 cm
- Minimum tank
- 450 litres
- Temperature
- 24–26 °C
Figure Eight Puffer
Dichotomyctere ocellatus
- Care level
- Intermediate
- Adult size
- 8 cm
- Minimum tank
- 68 litres
- Temperature
- 22–26 °C